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Question about screen time.


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What does screen time look like at your house?

 

**assume internet, television, computer games, smart phones, ipods, and video games are all included**

 

1. Do you have restrictions on these?

2. Is it related to amount of time / time of day / a task / an age?

3. How do you enforce it?

4. How do you feel it is working for you?

 

Thanks in advance!!

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The TV is on off and on throughout the day, really only 2 channels or certain Netflix shows.

 

I limit interactive screen time (video and computer games) to 2 hours in the afternoon during nap time so I can have some peace and quiet while the babies nap. They have to have completed their morning chores and schoolwork before being able to play, and I find this is a good motivation.

 

We do not have smart phones and don't plan on getting our children anything of the sort anytime soon at all.

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yes

yes

tokens

love it!

 

I have been trying multiple ways of keeping screen time under control. I got what we are now using from our overlord SWB at a conference AND I LOVE IT.(tweaked a little)

 

I give out tokens on Sunday Night. Each token represents 15 min of screen time. (SWB does 30 min tokens, 15 just works best for us)

 

I start at a base of 4 hours a week worth of tokens. Starting at age 7 you get 1 extra token each Birthday.

 

Tokens reset Sunday Morning. The only screen time in our house on Sunday is after rooms are clean, baths are taken, and everything is set in place for Monday, then we have family movie night. Only if everything is done by 5.

 

I have been doing this since May and yes we tweaked a few things, but arguments are gone.

 

A few other things. Any reasonable time that they want to use their screen time they are allowed. The tokens represent their time, and some choice they have over their time.

 

If both are watching together, they both pay tokens, they don't split.

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What does screen time look like at your house?

 

**assume internet, television, computer games, smart phones, ipods, and video games are all included**

 

1. Do you have restrictions on these? only on school days

2. Is it related to amount of time / time of day / a task / an age? during school days, she can't do tv/video games before 3:30, she can do educational computer games or ipod aps after school work, this is sometimes flexible as well

3. How do you enforce it? we don't need to enforce it, she knows the rules, we never have any issues here, I'm not sure what that means :001_smile:

4. How do you feel it is working for you? works great!

 

Thanks in advance!!

 

We are huge movie buffs, so our tv is on quite a bit. It's how our family relaxes and spends time together. I have never had a problem with our girls regulating screen time. If they are veggin' out in front of the tv, I usually don't care. If I do, I tell them. They go through phases with the Wii. If they get going on a game, then they might play for hours for a week or more, then they won't touch it for a month or more. We don't school all day and the afternoon time before 3:30 is for exploring other interests.

 

I guess that about sums it up!

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No tv/smart phone/ipad/ipod, but our kids each have 15 minutes of "protein" time (Happy Scientist, Discovery, Jewish sites, etc.) per day on the computer + they get to watch a 30-minute "protein" movie while I make dinner (Netflix documentary, etc.). On Friday afternoons they get to watch a treat movie, and on Sunday evenings we watch a family movie. That's pretty much it, and we don't have any conflicts about it at all.

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No screen time at all during school days (M-F for us). Sat & Sun are open for approved tv, educational & just-for-fun ipad/iphone games.

 

If a child misbehaves 3 times during a school day, that child looses all screen time on Sat. Screen time continues to be withheld if the child misbehaves again during the week.

 

We have had to enforce it. One child had no screen time for 3 weeks because of continued misbehavior!

 

Honestly, our kids have more fun, fight less & imagine more when they don't watch the tv. Weekends aren't free-for-alls when it comes to screen time. We spend a lot of time outdoors, doing family stuff, etc. It works for us.

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As long as all other responsibilities for the day are done (chores, school, work, etc), we let the kids decide what to do with their free time. In the area of screen time they can:

 

1. play (or write or edit photos or whatever) on the computer

 

2. play games on dh or my smart phones (if we aren't using them... and the current favorites are math flash card games-weird kids)

 

3. play games on the Wii or their Nintendo DSes (one-player Wii games are limited to 30 min/interested person/day; they set a timer when they start)

 

4. watch DVDs - we have an extensive DVD library of movies and TV shows since dh and I are huge movie fans; we also have a Netflix subscription, and the kids watch their weekly Netflix choice during kid movie night every Thursday night; we probably watch the equivalent of 2 feature length films a day (we do not have access to streaming, cable, satellite, or broadcast TV due to availability and low data limits)

 

5. during work or downtime, someone's iPod is usually plugged into a stereo somewhere or headphones are on

 

6. at night, someone usually has an audiobook on as they fall asleep

 

Dh and I regulate screen time on a case-by-case basis. For example, one of our children has a temper problem which becomes worse when he plays video games, so his video game access is restricted much more than the other three's. He's much more content playing Legos and happy to do so, so it's not an issue.

 

Of course, the kids are free to choose other things to do during their free times instead and often do -- writing, Legos, taking a hike, cooking, taking a hot bath, reading, playing a board game, cleaning, packing (we're getting ready to move, so a lot of free time is taken up by packing), playing cards, etc.

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I try to keep the tv off during the day. Once dinner is done and baths are had they usually get 1 hour of tv from 7 - 8pm before bed. Due to the heat here right now it's been hard not to let the watch tv. After about 15 min outside we are all to hot unless we are at the pool.

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My boys have to earn screen time. One minute of reading or music practice equals one minute of screen time. They usually get 60-90 minutes a day. Depending on the days schedule, they may not use all their minutes, though. Most ipad time is used on the way to and from music lessons or errands. They mostly like to play educational games on the iPad, but will play computer games once in a while. Any attitude problems or fighting and they lose all their minutes for the day. Works well for us. :001_smile:

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We are huge movie buffs, so our tv is on quite a bit. It's how our family relaxes and spends time together. I have never had a problem with our girls regulating screen time. If they are veggin' out in front of the tv, I usually don't care. If I do, I tell them. They go through phases with the Wii. If they get going on a game, then they might play for hours for a week or more, then they won't touch it for a month or more. We don't school all day and the afternoon time before 3:30 is for exploring other interests.

 

I guess that about sums it up!

 

Instead of writing out my long answer, I should have just said, "What Angel said." :D

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Mythbusters cannot be watched in 15 minutes! Even NOVA documentaries are at least 60 minutes long.

 

We don't have screen issues here. The kids have jobs, activities, practicies, performances etc. The youngest one plays with her friends, dances nearly 20 /hrs week, does her 'school work', and has a Mother's Helper job. My kids have Banangram and Zip It competitions. They bake, they make dinner, they clean bathrooms etc. lol

 

If they find 60 or 90 minutes or more ++ for a movie or documnetary, or even xbox games, have at it, I say!

Edited by LibraryLover
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We have a desktop, laptop, Kindle Fire & a Netflix subscription. We check out DVDs from the library and have 20 or so that we own. Each of the kids get 1.5 hours/day that can be used once they have completed their school work, chores, etc.

 

This is a relatively new system we implemented b/c it seemed like every time I turned around, someone was watching something. It was driving me nuts. :tongue_smilie:

 

I keep all of the viewing implements downstairs with me (in-home daycare) and once I check the kids' work, they can take whatever they want and I set the timer for 30, 60, or 90 minutes. Once it beeps, they do something else. Usually, the kids watch for 30 minutes at a time, play or read and then come back and watch another show or play a game.

 

Family movies and shows viewed for educational purposes (as planned by me) do not count into their time.

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yes

yes

tokens

love it!

 

I have been trying multiple ways of keeping screen time under control. I got what we are now using from our overlord SWB at a conference AND I LOVE IT.(tweaked a little)

 

I give out tokens on Sunday Night. Each token represents 15 min of screen time. (SWB does 30 min tokens, 15 just works best for us)

 

I start at a base of 4 hours a week worth of tokens. Starting at age 7 you get 1 extra token each Birthday.

 

Tokens reset Sunday Morning. The only screen time in our house on Sunday is after rooms are clean, baths are taken, and everything is set in place for Monday, then we have family movie night. Only if everything is done by 5.

 

I have been doing this since May and yes we tweaked a few things, but arguments are gone.

 

A few other things. Any reasonable time that they want to use their screen time they are allowed. The tokens represent their time, and some choice they have over their time.

 

If both are watching together, they both pay tokens, they don't split.

 

Wow, it sounds like you have a pretty great plan. I would consider stealing it, but we do not really have any need to at this point.

 

We do not have tv service, but if anyone watches a DVD it is all together as a family. My ds has an iPhone, which he RARELY uses. Sometime we question why we even bother having it. On the rare occasion he will play an app on it and if I feel like he is getting sucked in I will just tell him to put it away. I guess we are lucky at this point to not have screen addicts :001_smile:

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